What a busy and exciting week we had.  I love it when it is like this, and I think that BellaRose does too.  We all like to be on the go.  As you know it was Worth's birthday last week and we had his family over for some lasagna and rice krispy cake.  Worth's sister made the rice krispy cake and it was so cute.  She made it in a bundt pan.  Worth is no lover of cake so we have to improvise when it comes to dessert.  He has requested rice krispies for what seems like the last 5 birthdays.  We do always grant his wish too.  BellaRose had fun helping Big Daddy blow out the candles.  Worth also got a snazzy new little camera for his birthday.  That will be a lovely addition to the home technology, as it is nice to not always lug around our big ole camera everywhere.  Thank you all for your birthday wishes to him, he is much aplidged.  

The next day we met up with Jennifer and Davis at the Health Adventure in Asheville.  The babies got to run around and have an absolute blast.  They were so intrigued by the floating plastic ball.  Let it be noted that it was also Worth's favorite exhibit.  It was a very nice reprieve from the cold as it was only 4 degrees in the morning that day.  Oh goodness!  Let it also be noted that snow is also FINALLY in our forecast.  Of course they said it was going to start at 1 today and right now at 2:27 pm there is no snow.  I know it is not a big deal to the Colorado Carrs, or the Michigan Mulders, and the Boston Combs' (that one does not flow as well), but to us 1 inch of snow stops the world.  Just remember you came from the south (except Annie, but she was here long enough to know).  I hope that it will be a little bit more snow then 1 inch, but so far it is not looking so good for the home team.  Rest assured if there is snow you will be getting some snow pictures!

We also had a lovely visit from my older sister, Kelly, and her family.  Annie Singletary's in-laws have a house here in Black Mountain, and they let Kelly and the fam stay there for the night.  They had so much fun staying so close to the lake and to town, thank you so much Big Dan and Lee Singletary!  As always it is so nice to have family up here.  We had plans, Saturday evening, as you will see below, but the Baird family had their own agenda and were just happy to be up here in our lovely mountains.  Thank you for the visit and the fabulous breakfast at Early Girl Eatery  Sunday morning!

And now to the finale of our week (boy are you guys tired yet!)!  We celebrated Matthew Hales Lowrance's 30th birthday.  Worth and I got to go out on the town while BellaRose played with her cousins at his sister's house.  Margaret organized it all, and we had a rowdy group of 16.  What a trooper Margaret is being 30+ weeks pregnant and putting up with all of us.  We had a blast and were just a tiny bit tired the next day.  Midnight is not our usual bedtime.  I know, I know, that does not sound real late, but let me tell IT IS!  You people need to be getting to bed earlier if that is not late for you!  Well that is about all the updating I have patience for right now.  I really, really, really hope to be posting some snow pictures for you soon, but we shall see!

34 years in the making

My man has graced this earth for 34 years today!  He has been my other for 9 years.  BellaRose's dad for almost 20 months (what!!).  I have already told you he is the love of my life, and that I am more complete with him, yada yada.  I don't meant to down play that but you know all this.  Let me think of things that you don't know about.  What are some things that might totally shock you if you knew them about him?

1. He used to break dance, and supposedly was REALLY good, but in all 9 years I have never seen him do it

2. He bawled his eyes out at his sister's wedding

3. He likes to make up songs about B-Rose and sing them to her

4.  He gets compared to Robert Redford and Owen Wilson ALL.THE.TIME

5.  His heart melts for BellaRose

6. He told me he loved me for the 1st time the day he asked me to be his wife

7. I think he secretly does love Atticus

8.  He Loves Van Halen

9.  He plays the drums, the banjo, and guitar and likes to sing Avett Brothers with his brother

10. He checked the blog this morning to see if I had written a post about him yet

10.  He is a lot more gentle then he lets people believe, he has a heart of gold, and is loyal to his family.

I love you dear man!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Mobile uploads

It is funny what a kid will do if you just leave them alone for a little bit.  BellaRose got a doll and stroller for Christmas and her maternal instincts are really coming out, except when she throws the doll on the floor and gets in the stroller herself.  If I made a big deal about her doing something by getting the camera out then she would of course stop, so that is why the fuzzy pictures from my cell phone.  The pictures above are hysterical because she has put my shoes on and is giving the baby a bottle.  She is so sweet!  The pictures below are showing you how she does in fact throw the doll on the ground and decides that she does still want to be the baby.  Like I have told you before BellaRose is a helper and a doer.  Give her a task and she is golden (pony boy).  She loved helping guide Grandma around the house.  And finally BellaRose dressed as Cyndi Lauper!

I know that the blog as been a bit boring as of late, but we will be getting more exciting again soon, hopefully.  Worth is celebrating a birthday this week.  The old man will be turning the ripe age of 34.  Our good friend Matt turns 30 the day before Worth, so we will be having some fun festivities and many blog opportunities.  Hope you had a good weekend, I got a facial.  Can't beat that!

Face Time

These babies need some face time here on the blog.  They have pretty much been ignored since ole BellaRose came around.  We do still love them, and think that they are pretty great, but boy can they be annoying sometimes.  They are always underfoot and wanting something and when all my patience is given to little bean then they usually get the brunt of my frustrations.  BellaRose has even learned to yell "NO" at them when they bark.  I feel little bad about that.  They are sweet dogs and were called our kids before Sweetie Baby.  Rainy is so patient with her and lets BellaRose climb all over her and ride her.  She usually knows that BellaRose will feed her too so that helps with her motivation.  Now Atticus on the other hand usually gets up and leaves when little girl comes running at him.  So this post is for our beloved dogs.  So sorry we don't love on you as much as we should, but this family would not be complete with out you!

Fresh start

I hate to do it, I really, really, do!  But it has to be done, the Christmas decorations have to come down, and I have always in all my years done that on New Year's day.  I wasn't going to this year, our tree was too perfect, our decorations were not getting in the way, but it is a new year, and with that a fresh start, a clean house, a de-cluttered house.  BellaRose and I were left here yesterday, new year's day, and I just started un-decorating, thinking I would leave the tree, but it just happened, the tree's ornaments just came off one by one.  BellaRose was happy because she was FINALLY able to touch the tree.  I could not bare to totally get rid of the tree so I slowly slid it through our living room/kitchen and out onto the deck where I can still stare at it for a bit longer.  It really was/is the perfect Christmas tree and deserves proper love and a send off.

I was also a bit anxious to see what our "new to us" couch would finally look like in our home.  My mom has had this couch for several years and I have always coveted it, she finally gave in to my urges (and she wanted a new couch).   This couch is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat on!  The best part is that I don't have to brush this couch (we can talk about that later!).  The picture to the left is with a flash and I don't particularly like most pictures with a flash, but this is to show of the pillows I bought that compliment the new lamp so well!  Thank you mom!

Christmas Presence

Do you ever feel let down once Christmas gets here?  I do.  Not let down in the sense that I did not get enough gifts or I had a bad day, but let down that it is over.  We look so forward to Christmas and plan it for months, and decorate for days, and cook non stop and then all the sudden it is over.  I really do love this holiday.  I love how it brings out the best in people (most of the time).  I want to share some of our special moments this holiday season.  They are in no particular order.

We pray that you had an awesome holiday and that you were able to love the ones you were with.  I am thankful for you, for all your encouragement through out the year.  We think of you often. 

Reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and "Christmas in the Manger".

BellaRose was such a good helper with some homemade holiday gifts.  It is good to be momma's assistant.

Still Skating

photo by Trent

location: no name skatepark

city: greenville, sc

What child is this...

Just like her momma, gotta lay in the sun!  This is a rare moment with BellaRose, she is actually sitting down!  

I have come to some conclusions about BellaRose lately.  She is SO similar to Worth and me.  She never stopped moving when she was in my belly, never wanted me to stop moving when she was a newborn, and still never wants to stop moving.  I have to nurture this and direct this.  She is a helper and a doer, if you give her a job she thrives, if you ask her to help you her whole world seems complete.  It is always a nice respite for me when she does choose to lay in the sun and draw.  It gives me a moment that I so desperately need at times.  I appreciate what Katie told me the other day, these little babies, they are just trying to learn how to be humans.  Thank you for that knowledge friend, how true those words are.

So there is a little game being passed along in the blog world.  You see I was tagged by Jessica to go  to my 4th photo album and pick the 4th picture and put it here for you to see and to explain the picture.  As you know my computer is not old so this is a tad bit boring since you have already seen the picture and you know what it is.  This is a picture of the 1st scarf that I have knitted, a self portrait at that.  So I decided to up the game a bit and go to my Kodak Gallery picture and pick the 4th album ever and the 4th picture in the album.  This is 2004 and our little Rocco!  So my job is to tag some people to do the same and I will tag Bec and Katie (and buy something off her etsy shop for Christmas while you are at it!).  Do what you want with this, but no cheating unless it is a picture you just don't feel would appropriate for the internet and then by all means CHEAT!

Christmas Joy

It started off as a VERY rough parenting week for me.  Possibly one of the worst days yet.  My Christmas joy was almost, almost stolen, but we have come out on the other end with a few lessons in tow.  BellaRose is learning how to ask for things in her big girl voice, and I am constantly learning patience and to just ignore the whining.  Somedays are just harder then others.  We are good now and I just had to share the cuteness that embodies BellaRose.  This outfit is from T-Love and Big Poppa, how sweet!

The little lights, they aren't twinkling!

We started off the party with a trip to the Black Mountain Parade.  BellaRose went last year of course but really did not know what was happening, this year was a different story for sure.  She did not always get the whole candy deal.  See the Black Mountain Parade is really nothing spectacular but it lasts awhile and they throw out a ton of candy.  It is like it is halloween, except it is Christmas.  One of BellaRose's favorite past-times is throwing things.  She thought this was pretty cool, they throw her something and she throws it back to them.  It was not until she ate a lollipop that she realized this was good stuff and she wanted to keep it all.  The day if anything was freezing cold and little girls hands were done!  So we headed back for the main event.

I decided this year we would have a "soup kitchen", perfect for sitting around a fire and watching a movie.  Our neighbor Bill made White Christmas Chili.  I made Cannellini with Pork and Rosemary and Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup, oohh yum.  We also had a decorate your own cupcake station, one of my personal favorites!

Thank you Dan and Annie for getting us the projector, we missed you terribly.  Thank you Matt and Margaret for the extra fire pit which I am pretty sure every one really appreciated.  I just love doing this party.  It really starts off the season for me.  I hope you enjoyed it as well, and if you did not come PLEASE just watch the movie at least once per Christmas season, the opening credits will put a smile on your face, a guarantee I can stand by! 

That there is an RV!

It is upon us, THE "CHRISTMAS VACATION" CHRISTMAS PARTY!  The lights have been strung, the tree is up, some soup has been made, the projector has been obtained.  Bring some chairs, definitely bring some blankets, put on 8 layers and join us for some good times.  Pictures will be posted next week of all the joy and merriment!

And while we are speaking of Christmas, why don't we just compare last years Christmas tree (right) and this years Christmas tree (left).  Boy oh boy what a difference.  I knew I was downsizing, I just did not realize how much, of course this years tree might just be a little fatter but I pretty much hug him goodnight, every night.  He is just that kind of tree!  Plus he has not started dying like last years tree.  Oh what a complete disaster that was.  

Have a wonderful weekend and whatever you are doing, just get in the spirit!

It's the holidays

So here are a whole lot of pictures for you to take in, please accept my apologies.  This time of year, every moment it seems, is worthy of a picture.  First we start with our Thanksgiving feast.  It was FABULOUS, if I do say so myself.  We had traditional flavors with a spin, nothing was really customary besides the turkey and gravy.  I think it was a hit.  What was not a hit was my dessert.  It was pumpkin ice cream pie and so very bland and icy.  Oh well!  You have to have a few of those every once in awhile.  

The day after thanksgiving we went to cut our tree down, one of my favorite traditions!  It was so much fun with BellaRose this year.  She had a blast!  I think what she loved the most was the dirt however.  She really did roll around in it just like a little piglet.

My how this baby makes us laugh all the time.  She is at such a fun age right now.  It is so interesting how she really does know what we are saying.  One thing that got Worth and I so tickled at the tree farm was when she trying to put on her hat.  She was working so hard, and it was barely on her head.  She finally gets it to where she wants it and puts her hands down and says "yep" (and the tone that she said is even more priceless).  Sort of like that is it perfectly!  It was the sweetest funniest thing we have seen.


Rainy was a little jealous of the tree so we dressed her in lights to make her feel apart of things.